Eboa Lotin
The guitar and harmonica of makossa’s early days
Born in 1942 · Died in 1997
Related city : Douala
Related music genre : Makossa, Ambass-bey
Who are they?
A singer and songwriter born in Douala in 1942, the son of a Baptist pastor. Orphaned at the age of 3 and left with a paralysed left leg after a quinine injection, he found refuge in music and was largely self-taught.
What made them famous
A pioneer of acoustic makossa, he recorded his first song, “Mulema mam”, in 1962 at the Radio Douala studio. His songs in Duala, played on guitar and harmonica, made him one of the great figures of the genre’s early years.
Key facts
- In 1967 he won the Vick’s Vedette contest, whose jury was chaired by Duke Ellington, which opened the doors of Paris and the Philips label to him.
- He represented Cameroon at the first Pan-African Festival in Algiers in 1969.
- He is credited with some seventy songs, written over a 35-year career.